I've had a couple top bars for a while and decided this Spring to add two more. I've only had them for a week and it is too early to tell if they have accepted the queen or not. They are drawing comb but I have not been able to get in and see if there is any brood. Too much rain!

Of course, one colony drew comb right over the feeder since it made a great perch in an otherwise empty hive.

If it would stop raining for a few days I would like to make a few nucs to use for breeding hives.

Joined: 12 May 2015Posts: 23Location: United States, Colorado, Denver area

Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 1:04 pm Post subject:

DK,

You got me worried about the viability of my queen, so I think I need to check on her after work. There are 7 combs being built. The two on the outside are smaller than the rest so I am sure those will not have brood.

I have watched the videos, and read the books, but I wanted to run it by you. I should open the hive and pull out one of the 5 (maybe 2 if needed) to see if they have brood cells, correct?

"Don't freak out if the queen doesn't lay right away. Some will lay as soon as there is comb ¼" deep in the hive. Some take as long as two weeks to start to lay. If they aren't laying in two weeks they probably aren't going to and it's time to freak out."

Did you release the queen directly or did you replace the cork with a marshmallow and allow the workers to eat it away? If the latter, you are likely OK but I would check and see if you can see any eggs. That is the most non-invasive way to check on the queen. I plan to do the same thing this weekend if I can find a sunny time when they are out of the hive and not grumpy due to thunder/rain.

Joined: 12 May 2015Posts: 23Location: United States, Colorado, Denver area

Posted: Thu May 14, 2015 11:17 pm Post subject:

Well I opened the hive and all of the combs are yellow, with some empty spots that are dark. The bees were a bit pizzed, but I was able to look at all of the combs. They look like they could have brood in them, but I am just not sure. I will try again on Sunday with a magnifying glass. I have to take a quick trip to Houston and won't be back until then.

Hopefully they are brood and it is all ok. I did use the marshmallow trick when I introduced the queen, so you are probably right. It has almost been 3 weeks.

It can be tricky. I like to lift the bars so enough so I can see with the sunlight but not enough to drop the queen. You should see tiny white eggs or else what will appear to be tiny white grubs in a C shape.

If you have capped cells then those should be capped brood. Your hive is too new to have capped food stores.

How many combs have they drawn? By this time I would anticipate 3-6 combs of varying sizes. Were you able to spot any brood? If there is brood and they are foraging steadily I wouldn't worry about it. Every colony has their own speed and rhythm. Mine build comb in fits and starts. I have seen them build an entire comb in one weekend but typically it goes much slower.

I opened my two new hives today and discovered that one colony decided to draw comb on the divider. I removed the fragments of comb and gave them a few more top bars to build on. The other hive only had 3 full-sized combs and a few fragments more started.

I was surprised and concerned to see mold on the divider in one hive. That is unheard of in Colorado. It shows how much more moisture we've received over the past month than is normal. I'm wondering now if I should swap it out for one made of red cedar...

Joined: 12 May 2015Posts: 23Location: United States, Colorado, Denver area

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 1:07 am Post subject:

They still are maintaining the 7 combs, but are really active. No new comb for nearly 3 weeks. They look healthy and bring pollen back to the hive constantly. Through the window they all seem organized so I guess that I shouldn't worry.

I have one colony that has remained small and never fills the hive. They produce enough honey to get them through the winter and are pest and disease free. I will harvest honey occasionally and they seem content with their size.

Joined: 12 May 2015Posts: 23Location: United States, Colorado, Denver area

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject:

Good morning DK. Almost all of the combs have been attached to the sides of the hive. I expanded the hive by one bar and a spacer at the front and got them early enough that they barely knew that I was there. There are 3 open bars at the back.

I would use your hive bar to keep those comb free of the hive sides. It is also good to keep free space so the colony has that "not too full" feeling. I try to be cautious adding bars into brood unless it is pretty warm. The queen will not lay where it cannot be kept warm (more than a bee space).

I opened my two new hives and they are full. I have two open bars and a backer board and then no more room. So, I need to build more hives and split before they swarm. I am going to replace the backer with another bar until next week when I can get a hive made.

I not sure how to answer your mite question. I visually inspect my bees for varroa and also the hive bottom boards. Some beeks will take 100 bees and kill them with ether (think starting fluid) and then inspect them for varroa as the mites crawl off the dead hosts. I have never done that here in CO. I would post that question in the Top Bar section. I'd like to see the answers too.

BTW, the book I was thinking of which covers comb order and management is Top-Bar Beekeeping: Organic Practices for Honeybee Health.

Hi, bcolburn and DurangoKid.
Since your posts are from last year, I'm not sure if you will get this or not. Please allow me to introduce myself. I live near Westcliffe at 7850', and am planning on building 2 TBHs this winter. As a total newbee with no mentors I am trying to connect with some others who have some experience with "high and dry" Bee keeping. I was just wondering how your hives are doing, now and any of the challenges you have had to face with the high altitude and cold temperatures that go with living in the Rockies. Thanks, and best regards

Hello Granny! I am sorry to have missed your post! Not sure what happened. Your elevation is about the same as my fields so it would be nice to compare notes.

My experience so far is that "high and dry" has many advantages. I have had very little trouble with mites (both predominate types) and no issues with any disease. I have had moths in empty hives even when closed up which tells me they were present but the bees kept them at bay.

The biggest trouble I have seen is slow springs nectar flows. You may be in a good place if you are close to the many creeks flowing down out of the mountains outside of Westcliffe. Crested Butte has insane nectar flows but due to the elevation they occur in July and not May. Bees need something early to get them going and July is late!

I do feed my own blend of syrup in the spring but sparingly and only if they have few stores of their own and no nectar flow. Pollen flows are early here and, while not nectar, is food.

I have been increasing the length of my TB hives gradually over the years. Colonies really required critical mass to survive the subzero temps and cold winds. PM me and we can compare notes on hive dimensions.

Conserving wild bees

Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.

Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.